Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-31
TEXAS WEATHER.
Damage to the Crops from
DrOuth and Floods.

A HERALD reporter recently held a
conversation with William Lawrence,
who was resident of Texas during
the recent heavy rains and in speak
ing OF the immense damage done by
them to crops and property in general,
he said, "you know, it never rains
but it pours," and in Texas this is
especially SO. 1t is most certainly
State Of extremes; and is either too
wet or too dry, too hot 6Y rvv gold.
there being no time during the year
when it is ''just right" so to speak.
The recent heavy rains, he said,
amounted to almost cloud-bursts in
some parts, the immense volume OF
water swelling the streams far beyond
their capacity and bursting from their
banks, they overspread the surround
ing country for miles around, washing
away every visible sign OF life
including house, barn. in fact every
thing"
1.-THE Brazos was perhaps more
destructive than any other stream as
it washed away the abutments Of
nearly all the bridges on it, besides do
ing great damage to the country
through which it passed by carrying
off the soil from many farms and
depositing it at some point lower
down the stream"
90 1t is very treacherous stream"
continued the gentleman, "and before
one is aware of it, he is confronted by
an immense wall OF water five or six
feet high, regular tidal-wave which
sweeps down the almost dry bed OF
the river with irresistible force,
destroying everything in its path,
and 1c~is not an uncommon
sight to see the bodies OF horses, cat
tie and sheep floating down stream,
and frequently during the last rise,
houses and barns were seen in similar
situations"
"a ludicrous incident in this con-
nection occurs to my mind, and it is
worth relating, think. Early one
morning some cowboys, who were sit
ting on their horses on the bank COM
menting upon the miscellaneous OBJ
jects floating down stream, suddenly
observed in the distance peculiar
looking object of immense size, but
which from the great distance in
tervening, could not be made
out. 1t appeared, however, to
be house, and upon closer
approach it was seen to be a house
with cat and rooster perched upon
the comb of the roof, the rooster crow
ing lustily--intending to announce, no
doubt, that the break OF day was at
hand. No one could account for the
presence OF the cat and rooster on the
house, and they were allowed to float
by without being molested, and prob
ably were carried into the Gulf"
"Were not trains greatly delayed by
the numerous bridges being washed
away" ventured the scribe.
ooh, yes," answered the narrator;
Grains on all roads were delayed from
two to three days, but most of the
roads have learned from experience
TO prepare for these disastrous
floods, and now have in readiness per-
fectly constructed bridges already to
put together and it does not now take
long for a bridge to be replaced"
''Did the rains come in time to save
the crops?"
"No indeed, and that is just the most
'exasperating part of the whole thing"
said he. "Only think, so much rain
and then to have it all come after it
was too late. The corn and wheat
crops had already made entire fail
ures for want of rain, and the cotton
crop which was needing a certain
amount of rain was beaten down by
the heavy and long continued rain. 1t
will average one-third of full crop,
and the fact that three successive
failures of crops have occurred in
Texas in the last three years has had
the effect of drawing thousands of
people from the state, many OF whom,
in fact the greater part are coming to
California. Words can hardly con-
vey an adequate idea of the destitution
which was occasioned by the extreme
droughts followed by the heavy rains.
Whole districts had to be fed by the
government, and it was a very COM
mon thing for the first people OF the
land to eat 'pauper bread as it was
called" The gentleman was here
obliged to excuse himself on a press
ing engagement and the conversation
ceased.